Prior to Szass Tam's elevation to supreme ruler of Thay, the land was ruled by a council of eight powerful mages known as Zulkirs, each of whom specialized in a different school of magic. During the chaos of the Spellplague, Szass Tam named himself regent and eventually became the one true power in Thay. The zulkirs thereafter served as Szass Tam's vassals.[3]

Tharchions, the civil governors of the realm, ruled over the various tharchs, or regions of Thay.[4]

The nation relied heavily on slavery, a practice heavily frowned upon by nations throughout northern and northwestern Faerûn. In Thay itself, the zulkirs and other prominent Red Wizards grew rich beyond imagination from this sinister trade. From their strongholds and estates, they used this wealth to constantly scheme and plot for mercantile and military domination of neighboring nations.[citation needed]

Slavery was a common branch of trade in Thay.[7] Slave markets were restocked with war prisoners, conquered Rashemi, or people who were sold into slavery. While folk of Mulan descent removed all body hair (at least on the head) and Rashemi freemen at least clipped their hair short, slaves were not allowed to cut their hair at all. They could be easily distinguished by the heavy and filthy mass of hair they wore.[8]

Slaves were used in warfare, where they were given sandal-boots, spears, headscarves, loincloths, and—if they were lucky—a baldric hung with waterskins. [9]

The nation of Thay came about when a sect, calling itself the Red Wizards, declared its freedom from the god kings of Mulhorand. The sect's center of strength was in the northern provinces where the natives did not have the inbred reverence for the god-kings. After razing the city of Delhumide they declared themselves the free nation of Thay in 922 DR. Since then Mulhorand defended itself, quite successfully, against two invasions from Thay.[5]

The armies of Thay marched on Aglarond and Rashemen many times and folk feared that the time would soon come when the zulkirs mobilized again. On the other hand, few invasions ever overcame the great mountains girding the Plateau of Thay, and the secretive and suspicious Red Wizards raised barriers just as formidable to discourage travelers from venturing into their lands.[citation needed]

In 1375 DR, Szass Tam set in motion a series of events such as the murder of the zulkirs of transmutation, Druxus Rhym, and evocation, Aznar Thrul; crafting an undead army with the atropalXingax from the bodies of slaves and prisoners of war; and portraying a failed unauthorized Thayan invasion on a Rashemi town by the TharchionsAzhir Kren and Homen Odesseiron as a Rashemi invasion onto Thayan soil stopped by the great casualties of Thayan soldiers and his "timely" rescue of the invading force. All of these actions created a climate of fear within the nation of the Red Wizards and endeared him to the people as a savior who could end the country's woes.[citation needed]

His plot was uncovered by his former confidant, Dmitra Flass, who put the puzzle together and alerted the remaining zulkirs, obviously excluding the lich. When Szass Tam proposed to make himself "temporary regent" to end all the suffering of the nation and crush the undead forces and other such troubles, the five of the six zulkirs voted against his proposition with only Yaphyll, Zulkir of Divination, abstaining from the vote. Szass Tam immediately had the Order of Necromancy under his control alert the common folk that the beloved hero of Thay had been denied from ending their suffering. Riots erupted in the streets, which he also used to his advantage, taking control over garrison commanders and summoning demons to kill the rioters. The appearance of the demons did nothing to behoove the reputation of Nevron's Order of Conjuration, as they believed his servant had summoned the demons to fight. Szass Tam appeared all over the city to quell the fighting, endearing him to the people even more.[citation needed]

Soon afterword, much of the undead force had been destroyed and the nighthaunt and angel of decay leaders had been obliterated along with much of the Burning Braziers, the latter thanks to the rigged magical torches he had given them. Szass Tam openly declared himself ruler of all Thay, thus declaring war against the remaining zulkirs of Thay. Hell had come to Thay.[citation needed]